A US woman who shot and killed her husband and two adult children before taking her own life is thought to have committed the shocking crime as a result of being ostracised from the religion she was raised in.

A federal judge sentenced a former Arkansas judge Wednesday to five years in prison — a stiffer punishment than prosecutors recommended — after he admitted giving young male defendants lighter sentences in return for personal benefits that included sexual favours.

Every time I tell a mate I’m doing a story on cryptocurrency, they invariably ask me the same two questions: should they invest their own hard-earned money, and which cryptocurrency will get them a Lamborghini/yacht/island quickest?

Guards on shift change when Vic MP tussled

Security procedures will be changed at Victoria's Parliament House after MP Geoff Shaw scuffled with an elderly protester on the front steps with no intervention from armed guards who were on a shift change.

Parliamentary speaker Ken Smith says there will now be protective services officers (PSOs) on guard at all times during protests.

"If ever there is a protest there will be PSOs stationed there," he said on Wednesday.

Mr Smith said, unlike the PSOs, the unarmed attendants from the parliament's security company present during the protest are not authorised to grab people.

Video footage showed two security attendants standing at the top of the steps while Mr Shaw scuffled with several protesters on Tuesday.

Mr Smith said construction barricades covering part of the front steps to parliament were due to be removed in the next fortnight, which would give politicians more room to walk up the stairs.